Course Summary
The way we resolve and manage disputes is changing. Businesses and individuals are no longer willing to bear the expense and time of going to court and are turning to alternative ways of resolving conflict. This change means organisations need people skilled in preventing and managing disputes, to guide them through more efficient and successful processes - like mediation.
College Link
Career Sectors
This course prepares you for working in the Career Sectors below. Follow the links to get a fuller understanding of the sectors you are preparing for.
Entry Requirements
Applications will be considered from:
Members of the legal and related professions,
Graduates holding an approved university degree or law-based interdisciplinary university degree,
Persons with other academic and/or professional qualifications and/or such experiences as would satisfy the School that they are able to participate in this course.
You may be eligible for Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL), as UCD recognises formal, informal, and/or experiential learning. RPL may be awarded to gain Admission and/or credit exemptions on a programme. Please visit the UCD Registry RPL web page for further information. Any exceptions are also listed on this webpage.
Application Details
Commencing May 2025
The Student
Career Interests
This course is typically suited for people with the following Career Interests. If these interests do not describe you, this course may prepare you for work you may not find satisfying.
Social
The Social person's interests focus on interacting with the people in their environment. In all cases, the Social person enjoys the personal contact with other people in preference to the impersonal dealings with things, data and ideas found in other groups.
Many will seek out positions where there is direct contact with the public in some advisory role, whether a receptionist or a counsellor. Social people are motivated by an interest in different types of people and like diversity in their work environments. Many are drawn towards careers in the caring professions and social welfare area, whilst others prefer teaching and other 'informing' roles.
Career Progression
This programme is for anyone who wants or needs a new set of skills and tools to manage conflict and disputes. It is for those who work or wish to work in the dispute resolution sector, and for anyone who wants strategies and interventions to bring with them into their professional lives. This programme is not just for lawyers, it is for anyone who finds themselves dealing with conflict and disputes, and who wants to reduce the cost - personal, professional and financial - of conflict.
Successful participants will gain a new insight into the causes and dynamics of conflict and new skills and strategies to lead their practice, team, business, organisation or clients into a more productive and effective future.
The Capstone Project will give students the opportunity to apply their learning to their professional context and showcase their knowledge and skills to their superiors or employers.
The Professional Diploma in Dispute Resolution (Mediation) will position graduates well for roles that require an ability to manage and intervene effectively in conflict and dispute situations. This programme is designed for those seeking career advancement in a range of law and non-law settings and across a wide variety of industries and sectors.